captioning funded by cbs four more years. >> thank you. thank you. >> president obama wins a second term in the white house after scoring election night victories in the key battleground states of ohio, virginia, iowa, and colorado. >> whether i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you. i have learned from you. and you've made me a better president. >> mitt romney conceding defeat after a bitter and costi itly campaign. >> ann and i join with you to earn estly pray for him and the

nation. >> but little changes in congress, with democrats maintaining control of the senate, while the gop holds sway over the house. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, november 7th, 2012. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. barack obama has been reelected president of the united states. mr. obama won a second term in office defeating mitt romney following an often nasty and costly election. democrats have retained control of the senate, republicans continue to control the house. president obama won a decisive victory over mitt romney racking up wins in at least 7 of 9 battleground states. the president won this wisconsin and iowa's six electoral votes, a state that launched his first campaign and the key western state of nevada. but it was ohio that pushed the president over the 270 electoral

votes needed to win. it was a commanding win for the president in the electoral college, but the popular vote was neck and neck. in his victory speech, mr. obama promised better days ahead. >> while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. >> the president watched the returns in his hometown of chicago. be gad s bigad shaban is there. >> reporter: the president took the stage here in his hometown of chicago at about half last midnight and he told a crowd of cheering supporters we may have battled fiercely, but it's because we love this country deeply. the president's family joined him on stage to celebrate four more years in the white house. >> you voted for action. not politics as usual.

you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. >> reporter: the president won almost all of the battle ground state, giving him a decisive electoral victory. >> whether i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you. i have learned from you. and you've made me a better president. >> reporter: governor romney congratulated the president. the republican challenger says he gave everything he had to this campaign. >> i so wish that i had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. so ann and i join with you to earnestly pray for him and this great nation. >> reporter: the two candidates who clashed on so many issues found common ground. >> at a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing. our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work. >> i'm looking forward to reaching out and working with

leaders to both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. >> reporter: and he believes the country can come together. >> despite all the hardship we've been through, despite all the frustrations of washington, i've never been more hopeful about our future. >> reporter: president obama returns to the white house this afternoon. moving forward, the president says he'll work across party lines to focus on a number of issues including the economy, tax reform, and immigration policy. >> the next big thing. bigad shaban in chicago. thank you so much. meanwhile exit polls found a divide among race and generations. the president's share of white voters shrunk from 2008. meanwhile mitt romney won the vote of senior citizens, a jrt of those over 65 voted for the former massachusetts governor. so what were the demographic groups that towered the president's victory in anthony mason has the answer.

>> it was interesting to see all the young people cheering outside the white house because young voters helped the president this time and it's three key groups that helped him four years ago, as well. he took 55% of women. that's about the same margin the president had four years ago. he won hispanics 69%. that's a better margin than he had four years ago. and as nora has pointed out, s hissics are making up a bigger part of the electorate. his margin with younger voters did shrink somewhat, but he still won them 60%-36%. bob mentioned voters who left the polls told us in general they approve of the president's job, a majority 54% told us that. the other thing that's very interesting here is we know the economy was the top issue, but when sk people were asked who would do a better job, actually mitt romney had only a one point advantage. this was the issue that was supposed to cut against the

president, the unemployment rate was supposed to hurt him. in the end, he loses the economy as an issue by a single point. >> john dickerson has more on how the obama campaign won the election. >> president obama won re-election as 44th president of the united states by defeating governor mitt romney across a whole host of battleground states. this election had been tight in the polls right up until the election day, but in the end, president obama won more than the 270 electoral votes necessary for re-election. he did it through a combination of things by defining governor romney as a symbol of all that has gone wrong with the economy in the key state of ohio after so much discussion about ohio, it was the one that put president obama over the top. but he also had a positive message to sell in that state. the auto bailout that he put in place in 2009 is a hit with a voters and his ability to sell

that economic plan through difficult economic times was a success for him in that state. in other states, the president put together a coalition similar to but smaller than the one that has brought him to victory in 2008. his share of white voters actually shrunk from the previous election, but he did very well among african-american and hispanic voters. he also did well with younger voters, though they did not turn out in the numbers they had in 2008. president obama now goes back to washington where republicans have also won control of the house. the question is what will his agenda be for the next term. one thing that has been assured by this victory is that his agenda from the first term has been protected. john dickerson, cbs news, new york. and we will take a quick break. coming up, the key races and in congress as the democrats keep control of the senate and republicans retain control of the house. this is the "cbs morning news."

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in his second term like its first, president obama will have to deal with a divided congress. democrats were able to retain narrow control in the senate, and even thourepublicans maintal of congress. john boehner said americans are looking for political leaders to find common ground. tara mergener has more. >> reporter: at $82 million, it was the most expensive congressional race and a must win for democrats trying to keep control of the senate. cbs news projects tim kaine wins the virginia senate race. >> our victory tonight proves that it's the number of people who stand with you, not the number of zeros behind the check. >> reporter: cbs news projects former obama administration official elizabeth warren defeated scott brown.

more than $72 million were spent on the race for the massachusetts senate seat. the democrats picked up a seat with the win. >> this victory belongs to you. >> reporter: cbs news projects democrats will retain a majority in the senate and the house will stay in republican control. so capitol hill could be on track for more gridlock. in wisconsin, democrat tammy baldwin became the first openly gay person to win a u.s. senate seat by defeating tommy thompson. republicans were supposed to dway gain a senate seat in missouri. cbs news projects claire mccaskill will keep her seat. >> you'll have a voice in the united states senate that makes you proud. >> reporter: comments about rape sang the candidacy of todd akin. tara mergener, for cbs news, washington. >> and here is a look at some of the other senate race winners. the gop picked up a seat in

nebraska. fischer will fill the seat vacated by ben nelson. and in arizona, republicans will keep the seat held by jon kyl. jeff flake beat richard carmona. in maine, an gus king won the seat being vacated by owe limp gentleman olympia snowe. for more analysis on the state of the congress, here's senior political reporter. >> reporter: president obama will not have long to celebrate his election night victory.comi back to debate the fiscal cliff. this is the combination of spending cuts and tax hikes that economists say could plunge the united states into recession if it takes effect at the end of

the year. now, house speaker john boehner says they are looking to kick the can down the road pep doesn't want to deal with a lame duck congress, but that's our next big fight. there will also be a big fight in the republican party. republicans will look at what happened in this election and try to figure out what's next. some will say we've nominated two straight relative moderates. john mccain and mitt romney. and we've lost both times. the lesson they will take from that is it's time to move to the right. it's time to have a true believer as the party standard bearer in 2016. other republicans will say, you know he what, we're getting crushed among latinos and minority voters. it's time for a new direction for the party. will is a message you hear from marco rubio, something you hear from jeb bush, and this is the real fight that will be going on in the republican party. stay tuned, it will be an exciting time for the party and for politics in general. cbs news, new york city.

up next, your wednesday morning weather and victims of hurricane sandy get out and vote. many traveling far and wide just to cast their ballots. day at t, went home and fed her family. now she's helping her community. no wonder it's hard to focus on her own needs. but she's got one a day women's, a complete multivitamin with key nutrients women may need all in one pill. because our focus is you. the latest thing to wear with beautiful tops. beautiful underarms. wear with toga tops, yoga tops, and va-va-voom tops. dove go sleeveless makes underarms soft and smooth in just five days. effective protection. beautiful result.

here's a look at the weather. new york, rain and snow. miami, sunny and 79. chicago, 48. dallas, sunny and 76. clouds and sunny in l.a., 76.

a nor'easter is forecast to hit the northeast. expect strong winds, beach erosion, shore line flooding and a storm surge of up to four feet. up to three inches of rain is possible for parts of new england. snow could drop from delaware to maine. the rest of the country is expected to be dry, but there could be rain and mountain snow showers from tennessee to georgia and heavy snow and blizzard conditions are expected in the northern rockies. hurricane sandy made voting very difficult for millions of voters especially in new york and new jersey. poll being stations were relocated and even voters without power managed to cast their ballots. >> reporter: bill left home on his bicycle in search of a place to vote. >> just circling around and figuring out where the biggest spots were where people could be. >> reporter: these tents marked the spot where residents of the

devastate rock awaways are cast their ballots. >> i didn't think i'd get an opportunity to vote. i thought they were going to pass up the voting for the whole entire area. >> reporter: as might has fallen, there are additional challenges. for one the lighting isn't good in some parts of the tent, so some voters are complaining they can't see the ballots. and it's freezing. but that's not keeping people from lining up to cast their vote. without power, poll workers struggled to spread the word about their make shift location. but voters streamed in steadily all day. >> we don't want sandy to take away anything more than she already has. >> reporter: the system held up despite moments of confusion. new york's governor said voters could cast ballots at any polling place they could reach, but still some were turned away. >> they sent me away. every little vote counts. and i was trying to cast mine. >> reporter: thousands of new york residents have lost their homes. many more are living without heat or hot water. but election officials report heavy turnout, voters say the disaster has made them more

determined than ever to cast their vote. when we come back, a recap of last night's election results, plus marijuana on the ballot for the first time ever, two states legalize rec recreational use. y gift list. aww, not the mall. well, i'll do the shopping... if you do the shipping. shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. you know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yea, i know. oh, you're good. good luck! priority mail flat rate boxes. online pricing starts at $5.15. only from the postal service. hey buddy, i bet mom would love this, huh? jack? jaaack? jaaack?! jack?! looks good ladies!

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. in d.vc., a snowy mix. in st. louis, sunny and 50. denver, sunny and 73. and seattle, showers and 51. here is your election night recap. barack obama has won a second term as president of the united states. the president defeated mitt romney in at least seven of nine key battleground states to rack up a decisive win in the electoral college, but the

popular vote was very close. the president will still have to deal with a divided congress. democrats retained a slim margin in the senate while republicans retained their control of the house. john boehner will remain speaker of the house. big wins for same-sex marriage. maine and mattryland approved g and lesbian marriage by popular vote. and also on the ballot in washington state, but right now that is too close to call. in minnesota, a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and woman has been rejected. the state already has a law maining same-sex marriage. gay marriage is already legal in six states and washington, d.c., but those laws were either enacted by lawmakers or through court rulings. more history in washington state and colorado. voters there chose to legalize recreational marijuana. it was rejected in oregon. pot taxes could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year, but lighting up is still against federal law. in massachusetts, voters

approved using medical marijuana, a similar measure in arkansas. and in california, proposition 30 is still too close to call. governor brown says the bill is the only hope to prevent more cuts to public schools. if it pass, prop 30 would raise the state sales tax and increase income taxes for people who make at least $250,000. and also another high profile label on modified foods appears to be feeling. prop spgs says consumers have a right to know, but opponents say the labels would stigmatize foods that are scientifically proven to be safe. coming up after your local news on cbs morning news, complete coverage and analysis including interviews with key players from both parties. i don't know if it's just me, but ink we're all happy this thing is gist over. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." [ mom ] 3 days into school break and they're already bored.

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were missing half your kidney function? according to the national kidney foundation, 20 million people have chronic kidney disease... and 20 million more may be at risk... and not even know it. anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history... of chronic kidney disease is at risk. early diagnosis is vitally important. to get the whole story, talk to your doctor and visit... the national kidney foundation at kidney.org... or call for a free brochure. because when it comes to chronic kidney disease, you might not know the half of it. good morning and welcome to 9news now. today is wednesday, november 7th. the day after the elections. i'm andrea roane. >> the day of those am -- after those campaign ads --

>> have ended. >> did you stay up ail night? hi, i'm mike hydeck, did you go to bed? i did too. good morning howard bernstein. >> i went to bed early you know. wasn't going to change anything since i was up. >> we were going to talk about it for the next however many hours. >> weather-wise something pretty significant the nor'easter that's going to bring some rain and wet snow even to some of our region especially north and northeast of town. there are parts of northeast maryland in winter weather advisories and up in new jersey and delaware a couple of went storm warnings with this. it is cloudy and chilly out there. 41 now and temperatures aren't going to move much. maybe 43 by noon and then later you know even could be by noon we could start seeing some rain drops in spots but rain or wet snow falling at 5:00 37. best chance of this is going to be east of town. west of town you may not see much precip actually reaching the grandee specially west of route -- ground especially west of route 13.

34 winchester and la plata is 38. annapolis and pax river are 43 and 40 in cambridge. the nor'easter well, low pressure is coming up the coast and reforming here already throwing some moisture back toward us. this doesn't appear to be reaching ground from what i can tell. the air is still a little bit dry but it will later on. some wind along the coast and some rain and snow inland. some snow again into parts of delaware and northern jersey could be 4, 5-inches in spots. low 40s in afternoon and should do it for us in fact midday to the 40s for the drive home. monika? thank you so much howard. good morning everybody. well, i'm happy to say we're starting off the morning nice and light. no issues to report, i think everyone went to bed late last night and maybe all start later this morning as well. no issues as you come in from the west on the dulles toll road from the airport. 66 from centreville all the way to vienna. everything is good in fairfax station and burke this morning. northbound i-95 also looking good here in springfield.

nice and light from 395 and up to the 14th street bridge. back over to the maps, there is still some construction in place on the north side of town inner loop right here near university boulevard. that's why you're seeing this yellow here. a live look there, you are squeezing by to the left. the cones still set up and i don't think that should be there much longer. and i'll be back with more traffic coming up at 4:9. back to you -- 4:39. back to you guys. it's other. said and done. -- over. said and done. the people have spoken. president obama has been re- elected. the president crossed the electoral college threshold of 270 when he picked up the state of ohio. >> just as everyone said ohio was the place where it was going to change. the president thanked supporters and said he won the election with a lot of their help. bigad shaban has more. >> reporter: the president's family joined him on stage to celebrate four more yores in the white house. -- years in the white house. [ people chanting ] >> you voted for action. not politics as usual. [ cheering and applause ]

you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. >> reporter: the president won almost all the ballottable ground states. >> whether i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you. i have learned from you. and you've made me a better president. >> reporter: governor romney congratulated the president. the republican collager says he -- challenger says he gave everything he had to the campaign. >> the nation chose another leader. and so ann and i join with you to earnestly pray for him and for the great nation. >> reporter: with the votes counted the two candidates who clashed on so many issues found common ground. >> at a time like this we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing. our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the peoplers work. >> i am looking forward to reaching out and working with